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[Blodo]

Rivanan-Aesanian Border
08:42 am - Lebadan time
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- "Commander! The cavalry has arrived." - A young lieutenant said to a man with binoculars. Commander Fiodor Veroniv was watching the other side of the barricade. It was apparent that it was too quiet, but he had to follow orders.
- "Commander?" - The lieutenant repeated.
Veroniv was thinking. What exactly was the reason of this weird order he had recieved from command?
- "Are everyone in place?"
- "Yes, comrade."
- "Tell them to stay that way. We are under orders to stay put and prepare for an assault."
- "Uhh.. yes, comrade."

In the nearby airfields aircraft started taking off. Large quantities of the Propylosian Ka-X fighters were up in the air. Everyone was ready or an attack but no order came. No wonder. The plan was totally different, and the beautiful thing about it was that nobody was prepared for it. A little over 20 people actually knew about it in the first place. There was no way a leak would've gotten through.


Pythogrian capital
08:43 am - Lebadan time
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As the darkness cleared and what remained of the Pythogrian capital could be seen, it was but another day in the field for most Rivanan soldiers stationed there. Though one thing was different.
- "No, I don't care! I want to know why the hell did half of the whole damn Belkan army literally evaporated. Ask the commisariat 'dammit!" - commander Ramon wasn't speaking into the phone. He was yelling at it. Just yesterday the bulk of the Belkan forces was camped out outside the capital. He had to admit there was plenty of activity in there for the past two days all of a sudden, but how could they just move out and disappear was beyond him.
- "I am sorry, sir. We can't tell you anything."
- "Then get me the commisar!"
- "We are under orders FROM the commisar to not tell anybody anything, sir. I'm sorry, this is a classified matter."
Ramon was bewildered. He had no idea what just happened.
- "Is that all, sir?"
- "Yes, that is all." - He said as he put down the phone. Thinking for a moment he immediatly grabbed it again, thinking that maybe general Stregov had an answer to this. He called and called but nobody picked up the phone anymore..


Lumiaran - Aesanian border
08:43 am - Lebadan time
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The Aesanian border was heavily defended, but nobody had anticipated that anything like this could ever happen. The plan was in fact perfect.

At exactly 08:44 am (Lebadan time) the first rocket artillery shots rained on the Aesanian positions near the border of Lumiara. A tank push along a large strip of the entire border had commenced. The armoured divisions had proceeded to charge the lines in multiple strongpoints. Mechanised infantry divisions made their way to offload the troops as close to the lines as possible, to take and hold border crossings. The entire operation was carried out in a manner of a blitz. The Aesanians were quickly enticed to a rather desperate defense against overwhelming enemy forces. Four armoured divisions had headed the assault. Three divisions were Belkan, one was Rivanan. Along them a total of 8 infantry divisions. Four Belkan, four Rivanan. If that wasn't enough this was just the initial attack. The bulk of these forces were to secure a passage through the mountains and fight off any initial counterassaults, meanwhile the rest of the army were camped out in the middle of the Lumiaran desert, right where the range of the Aesanian "Stonehenge" ended.

A huge camp, being under construction for some time now (which started right after the Lumiaran occupation), which could fully utilise Rivanan aircraft and had multiple SAM emplacements. It held the remaining forces of the invasion which were about 10 Belkan infantry divisions, 6 Rivanan infantry divisions, 4 Belkan armoured divisions, 4 Rivanan armoured divisions and a large compliment of Rivanan interceptors. The camp was settled on a small plateau. There were almost no cliffs surrounding it, but the height advantage was still there. Multiple anti-tank cannons have been in emplacement around the camp itself.

The commander in charge of the first attack wave knew that upon entering the mountains they would be a much harder target than they would be on the open plains. The mountain range would considerably minimise losses induced by the enemy air domination. That is why they were blitzing the line and trying to get to the mountains as quickly as possible. They knew that the first thing the Aesanians will throw will be their airpower. Rivanans with RPGs were always at the ready even during the charge on the border, meanwhile Belkan anti-air vehicles were scanning the air for targets. It would take a lot of effort for the Union Airforce to bomb them...

The first phase of Operation Goliath had begun.

[crave22]

((OOC: Actually, it is heavily defended from every angle, even with friendly nations and particularly with Lumiara ever since they fell. The interior is empty, while a large force sits at the border which is pretty much a wall of barbed wire along most of it. I'm at DEFCON 1 for God's sake, nothing's supposed to get through. You'll have a bitch of a time getting in, then once you are in it'll be a breeze. Until I use the mountains to my advantage and cut you off from behind.

It is rather godmoddy that you managed to get in unopposed, though. Very godmoddy, actually. The borders are watched 24/7.))

Edited by crave22, 25 August 2006 - 09:56 PM.

[Blodo]

((OOC: Oh, bother... I shall rewrite my post then ))

EDIT: Ok done.

[Ash]

OOC: Remember, Blodo, just hold on until SOLG has fired. I'll make this battle a HELL of a lot more interesting

[crave22]

OOC: I promised you that I would level you if you used SOLG, story or not. The second SOLG fires I nuke the border with prejudice. My government took it once, it won't take it again. Anyway, I'll reply later.

Edited by crave22, 26 August 2006 - 05:49 PM.

[crave22]

((I'll make a short post... Mainly waiting for Shattered Skies to end and Ash to make his move with SOLG in order to continue it.))

Forces at the border fought hard, trying to keep the Rivanans and Belkans out of the homeland. Artillery bombardments constantly barraged the border zone in an attempt to slow them down while the "wall," an aging line of wire and concrete emplacements built in the early forties. As the first Belkans and Rivanans approached the border, the machine guns rang out, pouring hot red tracers into the ground ahead.

However, it was no use really. It only slowed them down... It didn't stop them. One single Rivanan tank approached the border, and crumpled the barbed wire fence... The first foreign forces to set foot on Aesanian soil with hostile intent in decades...

The soldiers at the border radioed Patal, which in turn sent the message to forces deployed worldwide. Those who fought valiantly in places like Comberth and Comona now only had a larger thirst for revenge to quench. The heathens had sodomized the homeland... And they would never be forgiven for such an act.

Edited by crave22, 27 August 2006 - 01:42 PM.

[Blodo]

- "Press on! They are outmatched!" - the voice of the commisar in charge was heard in the radio.
The first battle against the Aesanian Union fared rather succesfully. The surprise was a large factor in that probably, nevertheless the strategy of a massed mechanised attack proved quite useful to overwhelm the enemy lines quickly.

Stregov was sitting in his headquarters however awaiting the critical message. It finally came:
- "General. The Belkans launched their SOLG. The Aesanian Union is blacked out. Same goes for their aerial defenses."
This is what everyone was waiting for.
- "Excellent. Give the order to the squadrons in the air. I want them all bombing the Aesanian artillery emplacements so our people can get through unharmed."
- "Yes, general."
This would boost both the offensive and morale, plus it was a literal taunt to the Aesanians. The general awaited their move in anticipation.

Meanwhile on the front lines the first wave had already tore down multiple holes in the rusty old fence with the treads of their tanks, overhead a compliment of four Ka-X fighters flew.
- "This is Barak One. Engaging enemy long range emplacements." - the pilot of the head fighter said casually to the radio while beginning to bank his fighter to engage in a precision bombing of the target. The other fighters targetted other artillery emplacements and fired their missiles.

Down on the ground the advancing men cheered as the fighters released their missiles, and banked left to begin their return to the airfield.

Back in the Base Camp more and more Su-27 and Ka-X fighters started into the air. General Stregov knew that the first answer from the enemy will be a massed aerial assault due to the terrain topography, and he fully intended to show the Aesanians the might of the combined Rivanan-Belkan forces. Multiple surface-to-air missile vehicles and SP-AA tanks were riding with the first wave proper.
Everyone knew however that this was just a knock on the door, and now was the time to tear that door down and enter the kingdom proper.

[crave22]

"Papa Bear, this is Eagle One, requesting permission to drop ordinance on Belkan lines."
"Copy that, Eagle One. You are cleared to drop munitions when you reach the target area. Stay high and fast, or else the shockwave will catch you."
"Copy that, engaging."

Eagle flight was made up of four Wyverns, two of which armed with B61 Mod 10 tactical nuclear munitions. The intention was to cut off the Rivanans from their main strength, their Belkan comrades. It was also the intention of every Aesanian serviceman alive to finally inflict a deathblow to the Belkan forces on the northern continent, and this was but the first wave of the storm.

Rivanan aircraft broke Aesanian space, taking out a few artillery positions in their first wave and crippling the Aesanian ability to keep back the Rivanan-Belkan hordes. The next waves, however, were expected, and all types of AAA and aircraft which had been unaffected by the EMP had been prepped. Even without Stonehenge and the Excaliburs the Aesanians would not relinquish their main advantage so quickly.

The Rivanans, however, thought wrongly about the Aesanian response. Instead of pursuing them, the Aesanian forces dug in and waited for the Rivanans to come to them, their air cover keeping patrol patterns overhead at a constant alert status. Those Aesanian forces not at the front began reinforcing the southwestern flank, and had every intention of pressing the Rivanans into a meat grinder when the time was right and the Rivanans far enough inland.

Task Force Fimbulwinter sailed home at full steam, avoiding threats along the way. The Home Defense Fleet began preparations to blockade and bombard Rivanan coastal positions, and support any Aesanian forces close enough to the shore to recieve fire support.

The stage was set, the pieces in place. A high stakes game of chess had begun for the fate of the free world.

[Blodo]

- "The Aesanian defense is broken! To all units: Assemble at Rally Point Britev and commence retaking the mountains!"
This was regardless to the fact that the enemy still had a few units up and running on the now Rivanan side of the mountain, though they were no threat to the main force. The first columns of vehicles began moving down Aesanian roads to reach the mountains.

In his base camp Stregov was preparing himself to leave fairly soon. The Aesanians looked completely taken by surprise, which meant that there would likely be little problems to encounter right up to the Aersan province. Nevertheless he wasn't going to let his guard down just yet.
One of his lieutenants entered the room.
- "General. Long range radar is picking up a squadron of aircraft coming at full speed and with a high altitude over from the enemy border."
- "Just one squadron?"
- "Yes, general."
That wasn't the response Stregov was expecting.
- "Hmmh.. must be recon craft." - he thought to himself - "They are scoping us out before trying to hit us with their air power... Lieutenant: order our air defense to target them as soon as they reach visual range, meanwhile send our interceptors. Go."
- "Yes, general."
As the young lieutenant walked out of the room, Stregov was thinking about his next move. Obviously the enemy is entrenched now at the other side of the mountain, but if they aren't trying to assert air superiority then they must be sitting dug in, waiting for the enemy to come to them and engage in a massive armoured battle. "A rather dangerous strategy for the Aesanian.." - he thought. This was going to get brutal sooner or later. At the base camp proper the new Rivanan RT-80f tanks begun to form up. They would soon be sent to catch up with the first wave - along with a whole compliment of reinforcements. It's time they began to fear the Rivanan army with all their heart.

Over the frontlines 3 squadrons of Ka-X flew over beginning to ascend higher.
- "Kronos One to all: engage the designated targets on visual contact."
- "Roger that, Kronos One."

The squadrons begun to close in with the Aesanian Wyverns unaware of the real purpose of the enemy flight..

[crave22]

"Multiple enemy aircraft headed from the north."
"Forty seconds to target range. Fifty until enemy aircraft make intercept. We should be good. They'll be too disoriented to follow us, and when our mission is over we can ditch and hide in the mountains if need be."
"Copy that. We'll take flank, you two concentrate on dropping those fat fuckers on the Belkans."

The GPS marker on the pilots' HUDs showed the target as drawing nearer and nearer with each passing second. The Belkans here wouldn't know what hit them, and would probably be too disoriented to regroup with the Rivanans, effectively leaving the Rivanans on their own save for isolated Belkan units. And with the radiation to be dispersed it would create an effective barrier from that corridor.

Aesanian units on the defensive line continued to reinforce their position, while other units began taking the flanks to pinch the Rivanans in.

Within a few days, power would likely be restored to the various defensive positions throughout the Union. And the forces on the line had to hold until that time before those positions could become compromised...

[Blodo]

- "Kronos One, do you copy?"
- "Ten four command, what can we do for you?"
- "Try to blast down these enemy aircraft before they reach visual range, that's the generals order."
- "Roger command. Alright squadron - drop your socks and grab your throttle, we're going to intercept some Aesanians."

The squadrons increased to their maximum speed so as to catch the enemy aircraft right on the mountain exit. Stregov was convinced that this is a photo flight so it wasn't the highest priority. Twelve interceptors should suffice...
The order has been given to the ground AAA units and SAM vehicles to begin scanning the air.

The interceptors began to rapidly close in and started to lock their long range Vympel R-33 missiles.
- "All squadrons are cleared to open long range fire."
Twelve missiles were released almost simultaneosly and started roaming steadily towards the blips on the radar that were identified as the enemy.

- "Fifteen seconds to visual range."

[crave22]

"Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven..."
"They're throttling up... They'll be in range when we drop payload."
"Four... Three... Two..."

One of the pilots flicked open the cover for his ordinance dropping button, and let the B-61s go... Two bombs fell to the Earth, guided by GPS towards key locations in the Belkan formations. Within a few seconds two more would fall.

"Enemy aircraft in range! Break to intercept!"

The two Wyverns not dedicated to dropping nuclear munitions broke to buy the second bomber time to drop its payload, time it desperately needed for this operation to be a complete success.